GH: February 2024 Discussion Thread

[Darn]

The dichotomy of Genie Francis, nearly 50 years into her career on GH, giving performances like the one she gave yesterday next to a lazy, ungrateful, utterly bored actor like Maurice Benard mumbling through all of his scenes is striking.

This is the lead of the show?

[titan1978]

When Nikolas died the first time when Tyler left, Jon Lindstrom commented to Genie that the show really asks a lot of her compared to others, including himself. Tony Geary used to say she was only happy at work if she was practically bleeding for them.

It is a shame that she’s so solid for them, and people like Maurice and Tony had more power and took it for granted more. But then again, she at least had the guts to quit several times instead of just languishing and bitching about it.

[AMCOLTLLover]

To be fair Maurice had a lot of good acting delivered in January. An actor can’t be on top of their game every day 

[titan1978]

It was during one of those periods of time Vanessa was in contact with Guza/the show, and then backed out. After her first return, it took 2 Guza attempts to lure her back, the third time she initiated it and signed for a year.

If Vanessa ever wanted to come back she needs at least a 2 year contract.

When they tout their incredible talent to everyone on and off the show, they better be. When they offer unsolicited advice to newer cast mates and then get pissy if they don’t do what they say or kiss the ring, again, they better be on top every day.

Ask that of his other daytime peers. In the last decade his misses have been plenty. I may not have always liked the stories, but Finola Hughes and Becky Herbst have been through it propping for Frank and they never look like Mo does onscreen.

Now they fish for new male partners- Drew, Brando, Dex, Morgan, etc. They gave up on the Brenda clones, bring in the lesser Jason’s!

[Dion]

They even had that arc on season 1 of Nightshift with the mysterious burns victim - it was hinted strongly that she was Brenda, with the burns being a way to set up a recast.

[Darn]

No he most certainly did not IMO.

He gives bursts of well delivered lines but rarely does he give a solid scene. It’s unconscionable what he’s able to get away with next to actors like LW, MW, Genie, etc. committing to their art every single day.

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[carolineg]

SK to BW was pretty jarring lol.  I think that was a pretty last minute recast though.  They've had 30 years to figure Jagger out. 

The last time I thought MB gave a credible performance was when Brenda left in 2011.  He was okay with Mike's illness, but I don't think MB's been good or up to the standard he can deliver since 2002-03

[Vee]

That was another bluff and also an audience tease. They were never serious.

Edited February 3, 2024 by Vee

[carolineg]

I think Vanessa was in contact with Guza in that period and signed for Lipstick Jungle or something primetime and it fell through.

A Jason clone is probably easier than a Brenda one.  They don't have to emote much and just have to be good at working out.

No way they would have recast that early after VM left lol.  That was just buzz for Night Shift that was stupid.

[Vee]

It absolutely was the last time he did anything really impressive.

Maurice is very tired and shows it every day. When he does give emotion it is the same whispery weepy thing he pulls out often now. I can set my watch to his tricks and tics. He runs at half-speed unless truly challenged, which rarely happens and when it does occasionally come he is generally not up to the task and makes himself look bad IMO.

I think this would change with Vanessa back (or Sarah Brown, for that matter). You can say a lot of things about VM's last contract return but she kept him on his toes onscreen. He is never going to be what he was but if he wants to remain on this show he needs to wake up a bit. And to solve the problem, you marry them off and give her much more story than him lol. Simple.

Edited February 3, 2024 by Vee

[carolineg]

I think Mo only likes certain female screen partners and I think it boils down to VM and SJB-maybe Tamara.  CW is obviously a better actress than Vanessa, but MB can barely muster interest. 

[Vee]

tbh I think the only reason Sonny is with Nina is because Maurice likes CW, wants the pairing and she stirred his embers as a performer a bit early on. The show under the current creative team seems to absolutely despise Nina. As I have said before they punish and humiliate her nonstop practically every week in front of multiple people as she sobs and whines and apologizes for everything, and then embarrasses herself again. Nina has done everything but shît her pants onscreen. It's like vindictive Sonny/Carly fanfic from the 2000s if Sonny was with some other woman onscreen at the time. It feels like they are forced to write for her because of Mo but detest the pairing and so this is how they cope - that or they are terrified of what FB senior citizens will say if they put Nina on an equal footing with Carly. And I don't even care about Nina lol. But it is truly weird how they seem to absolutely detest the leading man's love interest.

Edited February 3, 2024 by Vee

[carolineg]

See I think MB is happy when he's not with LW's Carly, but I don't think I've ever bought Nina/Sonny.  There was a little spark at first I suppose.  Once it gets to the point when Sonny is all head over heels and marrying another woman I think Mo checks out.  I think he knows eventually Sonny will end up back with Carly and this pairing will be a distant memory and he stops caring.  He obviously views Sonny/Brenda as important and knows it's popular, so he actually tries when VM is around.

The writing for Nina is some of the worst I have ever seen for a leading lady.  She's constantly begging for scraps of forgiveness from people who don't deserve it.  I hate Nina and I am still trying to figure out how she was wrong for turning in criminals.  The slanted writing has completely backfired because now I am rooting for Nina to destroy everyone lol.

[Vee]

Oh, I never said I bought it lol. I thought there was a slight spark in his performance with her early on. The pairing I merely found silly at best and now tired and boring.

[carolineg]

Oh, okay lol.  They were decent early on.  I think MB gets excited when he has a new love interest then gets bored when it progress on to an inevitable short lived marriage and disappointed when it doesn't set the world on fire.  I have always gotten the sense that MB is bitter and frustrated he could never make any pairing but Brenda or Carly work.  And at this point even Sonny/Carly are very stale.   I just don't think MB realizes his days of being a romantic leading man are probably over.